Live Feed from the Cement Pond

I've been having a bit of fun of late, beyond my current intense seasonal pursuit of the elusive "Dry Land Fish".
I have run a cable out thru a slitted window screen, down the brick wall, across the sidewalk, thru the base of the chainlink fence, under the lifeguard stand and down into the deep water. At the end of the cable is a small video camera with a ring of led lights all pointing downstream of the waterfall's outflow. I have been observing horny Stonerollers digging pits, and spitting the stones out beyond the depression. For the first time the River Chubs have gone tuberculed and are gathering the bigger stones into a nearby mound. Bright colored Rainbow Shiners are dashing over the activity and the Hogsucker is coming into the picture regularily vacuuming the surrounding gravel. Everyday a new species appears and the season is upon us. Tho the resolution is low i can still identify virtually everyone who makes an appearance. Blotched Chubs, Big Eye Chubs, Dusky Stripe Shiners from Arkansas or was it the "Show Me State"? Northern Studfish, Longear Sunnies, Tennessee Snubs. White Tail and Stripe shiners going pearlescent. Redhorse. Beyond the desire for a higher rez video it would be awesome to have a tilt and pan control but i have not found the cable powered, waterproof servo motors that would provide this, yet. Any ideas?
What a show. Plugged directly into the back of my VCR i could hit record at will. Better would be a live feed to my studio so i could see what is happening while i'm at work.

The device was only $75, made in China, but sure has been fun. I'm only at the beginning of the season. As the year progress i can relocate it to the Longear's nests, the Bullhead Minnows slabs, the Tricolors crevase spawns or my little girls holding their noses. The big value is that now i am not disturbing the fish's activity. In the past, whenever i would walk to the ponds edge they all swim to the point where i feed them. And when i immerse myself they are more interested in following me than returning to their nest building, defending and spawning activities.
Here is where i purchased the camera. It could come in handy for several of you. Monitor a spawning session from your living room.
http://www.vissior.c...hop/index1.html

but...
Now i need a higher res camera and pan and tilt controls.

You Tube would be kinda neat but i have not figured that out yet.
I'm a 21st century Luddite with a cemnt pond.
Live from Blue Fish Ridge!

Here's a pic of me eyeballing one of those "Dry Land Fish".

Edited by Casper Cox, 03 April 2008 - 09:38 PM.

Very cool Snorkelmeister!

Todd

Hamming it up for the camera again! I assume the subject of your gaze was soon eaten? I've yet to see a Morel here. I dunno where to look.

I'll bet that one put up a good fight.

A few years ago a guy up in WV setup a crayfish cam on the burrow of a Cambarus dubius (Upland Burrowing Crayfish). He had a live feed up 24/7 and also recorded a lot of it. It was amazing at all the interactions that went on between that crayfish and local animals. Frogs, salamanders, and one time a mouse (or maybe it was a shrew) showed up and tried to move in (unsuccesfully, I might add). Interestingly enough, a couple of small woodfrogs actually inhabited the burrow at the same time as the crayfish for a short time with no problems. Here is a link to some of his youtube footage:

Rick

Nice. We won't have dry land fish for another three weeks. When the oak leaves ar as big as squirrel's ears.

That has to be Zach Loughman's dubius videos. Get yours up on YouTube Casper. Some rainbow breeding colors and cyprinella displays would be awesome.